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Honoring Caleb Medley, Aurora shooting victim

Community gathers to offer prayers; Medley family welcomes Caleb's son Hugo

By CARIE CANTERBURY canterburyc@ cañoncitydailyrecord.com

Posted:
07/24/2012 11:00:26 PM MDT

Community members gather at a vigil for Caleb Medley Tuesday at Pioneer Park in Florence. Medley is in critical condition at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver after being shot during the Aurora shootings. Jeff Shane/Daily Record

Florence — From more than 100 miles away, Fremont County continues to surround Caleb and Katie Medley with warm thoughts and also tender, yet poignant prayer as they each continue to heal and recover from a nightmare that nearly claimed their lives.

Friends and community members gathered Tuesday evening at Pioneer Park in Florence to offer prayers for the couple and their new baby, Hugo, who was born at 7:11a.m. Tuesday. The couple's friend, Michael West, said Hugo weighed in at 7 pounds and 4 ounces, and is 18 ½ inches long. West said the baby looks “very healthy.”

The couple and their friend, Ashley Kurz, all graduates of Florence High School, are victims of the shooting that happened during the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” early Friday morning in Aurora.

Community members gather at a vigil for Caleb Medley Tuesday at Pioneer Park in Florence. Medley is in critical condition at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver after being shot during the Aurora shootings. Jeff Shane/Daily Record

Caleb was shot in the face and underwent two surgeries Friday and one Monday.

West said Caleb is still in critical condition but is stable, showing multiple signs of improvement and looking better every day.

“Katie took Hugo down to the ICU hours after birth to share a moment with her husband, Caleb, who is still in a medically induced coma,” West said in a statement Tuesday evening. “Caleb showed signs that he could recognize that Katie and his newborn son were with him in the room. His blood pressure rose, his pulse rose and he was squeezing Katie's hand harder than he has since he's been in the hospital.

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A family friend, Amanda Wilkerson, organized Tuesday's prayer vigil for Caleb and his family and all of the other victims who were killed or injured in the tragic event.

“He started to respond to people holding his hand and he's listening to people talk, so they are expecting a really good recovery,” she said. “They still expect him to be able to remember everything and be able to connect -- it's really a miracle, and I'm really happy that he's going to be ok.”

During the vigil, attendees lit candles, shared stories and lifted up prayers. Wilkerson also collected monetary donations and baby items to take to the Medleys. More than 200 people attended the event.

“It's amazing how many people are out here,” she said.

George Matthew Reichert said he was at the University of Colorado Hospital with the Medley family from Friday to Sunday.

“That first day was hard – there were a lot of questions, a lot of fears and a lot of anxiety,” he said. “You could see it in Katie's face – you could measure how good things were just by the look on her face.”

On Saturday, doctors determined Caleb was not paralyzed, Reichert said.

“He could move both of his legs, he could move both of his arms, he was recognizing voices,” he said. “This was significant to us.”

By Sunday afternoon, Caleb was able to give a “thumbs up” on his own, he said.

“Caleb is alive, awake and in there somewhere,” he said. “Eventually, once it's been confirmed that he can come out of the coma, I'm sure we'll meet again the man that we all knew and loved.”

The couple has no medical insurance, but the community and even strangers from across the country have raised almost $180,000 in just two days to help cover rising medical bills, which are expected to reach nearly $2 million.

Chris Wilson, Wilkerson's former youth leader, said he hopes Tuesday's event will “get the ball rolling” and encourage the community to continue to offer support to the Medley family.

To donate online, visit www.calebmedley.com/help. For a complete list of places to donate funds, places to drop off baby items and benefits and fundraisers planned to benefit the family, visit www.canoncitysdailyrecord.com.

How to help the Caleb Medley Family

Collection Sites for Monetary Donations or Baby Items:

Home Town Real Estate at 1212 Main St. in Cañon City from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

KRLN/Star Country Radio Station, 1615 Central Ave. during regular business hours.

Collection jars are set up at Big D Superfoods, 1100 E Main St. in Florence

To Donate Funds:

Mail to Cañon National Bank, 401 E. Main St., Unit A, Florence, CO 81226 or drop off at any of the branches in Cañon City, Pueblo or El Paso County. Donations should be addressed to the "Caleb Medley Benefit Fund."

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